


The Publicity Stunt

by professional_benaddict, sugar-and-spice-parker (WriterReadsStuff)



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Play, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Celebraties, Corporal Punishment, Crying, Daddy Kink, Emotional Hurt, Face Slapping, Littles Are Known, Littles and Caregivers, M/M, Manipulation, Manipulative Relationship, Medical Conditions, Medical Examination, Non-Sexual Age Play, Publicity, Scoliosis, Surgery, Whump, daddy!Tony, daddy!stephen, little!peter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:34:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28528536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professional_benaddict/pseuds/professional_benaddict, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterReadsStuff/pseuds/sugar-and-spice-parker
Summary: Being an unadopted Little in an adoption center is bad enough for Peter, but on top of that he has an untreated scoliosis condition. But then, two superstar Daddies start showing up, wanting to adopt Peter. Peter hopes these two men will be his saviours, and let him and his favourite stuffie Elliot get a nice and loving place to stay, but the boy is in for a surprise.It is all for publicity. But, can Peter still find happiness?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Peter Parker/Stephen Strange, Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 101
Kudos: 351





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hello! Laney and I are once again at it! This idea was originally inspired by a prompt I received on my Tumblr, and my brain went to a dark place right away. And who do I find in that dark place? Laney, who is more than eager to write this idea with me and make it come to life. 
> 
> PLEASE BEWARE
> 
> This story is dark. Stephen and Tony and all the other grown ups' behaviour is not ideal, but it is the norm in this verse. The manipulation in this story is a central theme, so beware of that. Read the tags, and we hope you enjoy! :3
> 
> \- Rafni

_“Stephen, Tony! A pleasure to have you both back on the show.”_

_“Well, you know how it is, George. We always make it back on by the next film. Pretty sure I have a bedroom set up somewhere in this studio.”_

_“Tony, you have like seven bedrooms. Don’t encourage people to give you more.”_

_“I need my sleep!”_

_“Seven bedrooms?! What are you? Rich?”_

_“Ha!”_

_“I hate to admit it, but yes. We are rich, George, and getting richer.”_

_“Always good to hear, man! Uhm- heh- so life’s treating you well then? I’d say, from following your social media and the headlines, you two seem to be on a roll.”_

_“Hmm!”_

_“And perhaps you, Tony, most of all with your newest film! Tell us about it, will you?”_

_“Well, you know how it is. I’d say I’m getting a bit too old to do a superhero outfit every year, but the same cast returned as always and we just have a blast on that set. Plus, the stakes are a little higher in this film, so I’m sure some of the folks at home are already lining up for tickets.”_

_“Well, if it’s anything like ‘Ranger’, you may need to open another bank account to save room.”_

_“Ha! You know me so well.”_

_“That is, unless you had something else you were planning on spending money on…”_

_“Like what...?”_

_“Well, I hate to pull up photo evidence, but- the paps have caught you at what looks like multiple Little adoption centres over the last few weeks.”_

_“Hmm, yes, that was just last week.”_

_“And what happened there? I mean, a Little adoption is a huge thing! Are you guys settling?”_

_“Now, now. Settling has some heavy connotations to it. We’re not stopping work or anything.”_

_“This guy over here wouldn’t know what to do with those steady hands of his.”_

_“-But, we’ve reached the point in our lives where we think we’re ready to finally extend the family. Just by one, of course, we’re busy people. But... it’s definitely looking like we’re on the verge of setting up a nursery within the next few months!”_

_“A nursery? So, it’s a younger Little that you’re looking for? They are the most adorable, I must admit.”_

_“Yes, we are looking for somewhere between 3-5 years old in headspace.”_

_“And, Tony, do you think your husband has a valuable input as a doctor? Or is that more of an annoyance?”_

_“Oh, no, no. Not at all. It’s a great advantage that Stephen has this expertise. I wouldn’t say show-bis teaches you much about Little management.”_

_“What he’s saying, is that I’m taking the reins on this. For once, he’s the cute-tsy and dotting husband on my arm, instead of the other way ’round.”_

_“I’m losing my trophy wife privileges?”_

_“All of them.”_

_“Boys... don’t start fighting. We can share the new baby, huh?”_

_“Oh, definitely. We’ll be spending so much time with this Little, we might have to do the next double date with you and Ashley over video call.”_

_“10 year old Bourbon and that hideous couch you made us buy, my favourite.”_

_“Ha! Well, it sounds like you guys are doing amazing, and that even more amazing things await you in the future. So, don’t forget that Tony Stark’s new movie ‘Revengers: The Old War’ is coming out on February 12th! Don’t miss it! And to you, Stephen Strange, thank you so much for joining us as well and I wish you all the best with your practice. And- give the Little a kiss from me?”_

_“Ha! Certainly, George.”_

_“Absolutely. Thank you for having us, man.” ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! A cryptic start huh? ;) What do you guys think?   
> We'll see you next Tuesday!


	2. The Adoption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the amazing reponses to our prologue! Now the story starts for real and we hope you enjoy ;))  
> Mind the tags!!

Peter wakes up hearing the noise. It is loud. Loud, loud, loud. It makes his ears hurt lots and lots. Why are there people outside? He keeps asking, but everyone keeps saying it is not important. Just some people taking pictures of some of the guests.

In Peter’s highly professional opinion, the camera people need to shut up. But, he is not in charge. Not unless they are playing cops and robbers, they are not. So, Peter stays polite ad he waits in his railed up bed and stares at the pictures of stars and moons on the ceiling.

Everyone else is already awake, and as usual, Peter is helped out of bed last. The boy does not mind that much, since with everyone gone, it is just Charles who gets to see his back. They all tease Peter enough as it is already, so they do not need to see his bare back to see just how curved his spine is. 

Peter has developed a bad case of scoliosis over the last few years, and being in the Little Adoption System has not helped his condition. In fact, it has made it worse. Despite his serious condition, Peter only gets one doctor’s visit a year, which is the standard for Littles. He would have to be dying to see a doctor outside of that one year visit. However, lately he has being going to physiotherapy, but only a few times. So, all Peter really gets is pain medication. As nice as it is to be almost pain free, the medication makes him hazy a lot of the time. Like he is walking on clouds. 

After sending out the last two Littles, Charles comes over to lift Peter out of his bed. Once his feet are on the ground, Peter feels his back start to ache in that all too familiar way. Despite the pain, Peter lifts his arms dutifully for Charles to take his pyjama top off. 

“Are they here again? Da super stars?” Peter asks.

Charles chuckles before smiling. 

“Yes, the super stars are here again. We were thinking of having you meet with them today. They have a... friend. A friend who thinks you would be really good with them.”

Peter hums. He likes the interviews, it is always fun to see new people. He just does not like the idea of actually going home with somebody. He suffers enough right where he is, thank you.

“I am good. Try to be.” Peter mumbles mostly to himself, but he still feels a bit of a stab in his chest when Charles does not reply. Instead, the center worker just gets him dressed for the day. Once dressed, Charles pats Peter’s back. The boy absolutely hates that, but puts on a brave face. 

“The super stars want to have breakfast with you alone. So, when they ask if they can feed you, you say yes. Understood?”

Peter nods respectively, and lets himself be led out of the ‘Lion’s Den’ (the name given to the toddler bedroom by staff, Peter finds it very fun).

“All right, you, come with me through the back hall and I’ll play monitor for the day, best behaviour.” Lucia says in lieu of a greeting, taking Peter’s hand from Charles and begins to march him down the back hall where the grown ups usually are.

Today, there is more commotion than usual, and Peter wonder what is so important about these people.

Lucia leads the way to a large room with a long table and chairs surrounding it. Next to one seat, there is a breakfast tray with a sippy cup of milk, a bowl of oatmeal and some apple slices. Peter quickly realises that the meal is for him as Lucia sets him on the seat. But, something is missing. 

“Lucy, my meda’sin.” 

“Yes, yes, I’ll get it. Don’t start eating till the grown ups arrive.”

Peter does his best to behave. He stays still as a statue, not even blinking, and stares at the apple slices hungrily. He wants to eat them now, but he knows that would not be a good boy thing to do. And he really is not in the mood for corner time this early in the morning. As time passes, and Peter begins to swear his oatmeal is going cold and the apples are browning and the milk is turning sour and he is growing so much he cannot even fit in the highchair, he heard the door open.

The super stars are back, and Peter gapes softly as he watches the two men, followed by a woman enter the room. They look just as awesome as they did last time they met. 

“Hey, there! How are you?” The slightly shorter of the two men, Tony, asks cheerily. Peter mirrors his grin. 

“Hii...” Peter mumbles back, squirming on his seat. The motion hurts his back a bit, but he barely notices. His cheeks are flushing already, and the two super stars have barely even sat down.

“Peter, it’s nice to make your acquaintance.” The woman says, reaching out to grab Peter’s hand and move it around a little. Peter giggles at the motion, but he is not quite sure what she just said. “I’m Pepper. I work for those two.” She explains, pointing to the super stars.

Oh. So this lady is like their servant. Like Cinderella. That is kind of mean, Peter worries, but it is not his job to worry. He does no understand. Those are grown up things.

“Peter, I’m gonna feed you, and Pepper here is gonna take pictures of us. Okay?” The taller one with the funny facial hair asks. Peter wonders why pictures need to be taken, but shrugs anyway and nods.

The taller one, Stephen, comes to sit next to Peter, and grabs the bowl of oatmeal. He stirs it a bit and hums something to himself. Peter likes the super stars. They ooze of confidence that he could only dream of having. Maybe some of the confidence will rub off on him. Peter leans in closer in hopes of that, and Stephen chuckles as he offers him the first spoonful. 

“Hungry, are you? Oatmeal is good, isn’t it? It’s healthy for you. You’ll grow big and strong eating oatmeal.”

Peter tries to think of a good response, but soon the door is opening again and Lucia has returned with Peter’s meds. The ziploc bag had about six types of pill bottles in it, although Peter is not 100% sure what any of them are, and a backup journal with directions to the nearest hospital in case anything goes wrong. It is good for him. Just a little embarrassing.

“Oh- can Tony give him the medication this one time?” Pepper requests.

“Uhm- he needs the right ones.” Lucia hesitates, but only for a moment before Stephen signals for her to hand over the bag and papers. Lucia does so, but does not let her eyes off Stephen. 

“Ah, right. Just a bunch of painkillers. And- antidepressants? You didn’t mention that.” Stephen points out, shooting Lucia a look while sorting out Peter’s dose for the day based on the instructions in the bag.

“They’re not really necessary, if you’d prefer to wean him off. He had some difficulties last month after a particularly bad treatment and they were prescribed to keep him doing the physical therapy. But, he’s out of PT now, so they could be taken away.”

“And I guess you have the qualifications to evaluate that?” Stephen states, making Lucia pause. 

Even Peter notices the sudden tension in the room, and halts where he was about to reach for his sippy cup. Instead, he flickers from one grown up’s face to the next, analysing their facial expressions. Stephen looks almost mad, like someone has taken his toy, and Lucia looks sad. 

“Don’ cry, Lucy!” Peter exclaims.

“Peter-“ Pepper starts, but Lucia is quick to interject.

“Peter, quiet down. Nobody is crying. I shouldn’t have said that, okay? Focus on eating now. You need to be full for playtime.” She explains, shushing the boy with duty. Peter huffs, before turning back to his sippy cup and drinking his milk, then opens up for a pill.

Tony places the first pill on his lip, and Peter uses his tongue to flip the pill into his mouth and then swallow it down with milk. Stephen and Tony both praise him, as if there was no argument just a few moments ago. On the second pill, Peter jumps a bit at the flash of the camera when Pepper takes the first picture. Subconsciously, Peter straightens his back as much as he can, even though it hurts.

“Ah, ah. No, no. Leave it natural, Peter. No hurting yourself.” Stephen insists. Peter furrows his brows in confusion, but relaxes his back and opens up for his third pill. This one is bigger, and usually a bit tough to swallow, so he makes sure his cup is nearby for some liquid.

“There, last one. Look at you! You’re so brave, Peter! And you take this many everyday? That’s so impressive.” Tony gushes once Peter has had all his medication. Peter smiles bashfully at the compliments. 

“Here, bud.” Stephen alerts gently, drawing Peter’s attention back to the oatmeal. “Don’t get distracted by Tony now. Pretty soon, he won’t be just Tony. He’ll be Daddy! Or Papa, or Dada. Which one do you prefer, handsome?”

Peter freezes.  
What?

Nobody had told him he is going home with these people. They just wanted to do breakfast, he thought this was just for a few hours, not-

“Lucy? I go bye-bye- t’day?” Peter asks.

“Answer the kind man, Peter.” Lucia replies, nodding towards Stephen. 

“What would you like to call us?” Tony asks, just in case Peter forgot the question.

Peter stalls. 

“Uh- Dadas. I get my bunny, p’ease?” The boy requests to Lucy, hoping that his beloved toy bunny, Elliot, can be returned to him for the remainder of the breakfast session.

“Not now, Peter. Stuffies stay in bed at all times. You know this.” Lucia reminds, making Peter a bit fussy. That is not the rule at all. Charles has let Peter have Elliot loads of times out of bed. Why is she lying? 

“You have a stuffie?” Stephen picks up, giving Peter another spoonful of oatmeal.

Peter hums, happy to talk about Elliot and not his apparent relocation plans. He will be speaking with Elliot on the injustices of it all later anyway.

“Mmmmhmmmmm! Ell’it my bunny buddy.” Peter explains with his mouth full. Something about the way Pepper looks at him for that signals that he should be using his table manners, but Peter is not sure he likes her if she is the reason he is being taken away.

“Elliot, huh? That’s adorable. Make sure you pack him later then, yeah?” Stephen says, scooping up the last of the oatmeal and feeding it to Peter. 

“We’ll be signing the papers once you’ve finished eating.” Tony says, looking at Lucia to confirm.

“Yes, of course.” Lucia nods. “Whatever you want. Assuming you’re sold on Peter here, we can have him packed and ready to go by 10. That should give enough time to sign everything.”

Does Peter get to sign anything? He hopes so. Then Peter should use the glitter pen that he hid away in one of the art supply shelves. It is one of his favourite items in the center, besides Elliot, but the pen is not technically his. Everyone can use it, but Peter would rather keep it for himself. 

“I have a glitter pen.” Peter states seriously, but all he gets in return is cooing and softly chuckling from the grown ups.

Okay, so no glitter pen. Peter supposes he will have to sneak it into his bag when he packs then, because Peter is not leaving that here. Jacob would end up taking it and Jacob always breaks his pens.

Once Peter has finished his breakfast, he is ushered out of the room along with Charles. Lucia stays behind with the super stars and their fancy lady. Peter can hear them laughing. Is signing papers that funny? Now Peter really is missing out! 

“Lets go pack up all your stuff.” Charles says. Peter is not sure if he sounds happy or sad when saying it.

Probably sad, Peter figures. He is a very fun person, thank you very much, and he cannot imagine Charles would be glad to see him go. Somewhere deep in his brain, Peter is laughing at the image of everyone crying once he is gone, but it is not shown on the outside. Because he is crying instead.

“Ell’it stay in hand!” Peter weeps, demanding his stuffie be carried rather than packed. Charles only tuts, placing the beloved bunny into the bag despite Peter’s adamance.

“You’ll drop it, or someone will pull it out of your hand on the way to the car. Settle down.” 

Peter, while he quickly drops his glitter pen into the bag, during Charles’ distracted state, only pouts.

“He wan’s to see.”

“Stuffie’s can’t see, silly. Now, go get your clothes from your cupboard.” Charles directs while gets Peter’s toiletries and medications. 

Peter huffs a bit. The cupboard is on the other side of the dorm room, and Peter’s back is already aching from walking so much. However, Peter knows his bottom will also hurt if he acts up, so he goes to get his clothes dutifully.

There is not much, a few pairs of shirts and pants for each season, plus his Diego pull ups. Otherwise, the ‘PB’ cabinet is empty. Even though it is not much, Peter would not feel right leaving his clothes behind either. It will be colder soon, so he needs his winter pants. Peter is smart like that. Everything fits into one bag, and luckily Charles picks it up so that Peter does not have to. While following Charles out, Peter tries to stretch his back a bit, and tries his best to keep his pained whimpers quiet.

“Don’t be a disruption, Peter. Hands in front and back... Okay, maybe not the whole routine. Just show your manners, please.”

Peter hums, placing his hands in front of his lap, neatly folded as he stands still in the hallway. Charles leans in, whispering to Peter again. 

“Good boy. Now, when you leave, it’s model behaviour. There’s gonna be cameras, don’t throw a fit about it when you get taken out. Just think how lucky you are to be going home with such important people.”

But, Peter does not know these people. Sure, they have spoken to Peter here and there during generals, but until today they had not even done a meeting! What makes them so special, anyway?

In the lobby, Stephen, Tony and Pepper are waiting along with Lucia. Stephen steps forward to take Peter’s hand, and then quickly scoops him up into his arms. Peter sighs contently mostly thanks to the relief in his back, rather than the comfort of being held. It is actually the opposite, and Peter frowns a bit at being so close to Stephen. The man is warm, and strong, but unfamiliar. 

“Shall we go home then? Yeah? Have you got all your things and your stuffie?” Stephen coos. 

Meanwhile, Tony takes Peter’s bag from Charles. 

“Where’s the stuffie?”

Charles smiles professionally.

“It’s in his backpack.” The worker explains, but Pepper takes that as a cue to grab the bag and pull Elliot out, handing him to Peter. 

“Here, buddy. You hold your friend, and then you’re going to put your nose in your Daddy’s neck. See here?” Pepper instructs, pointing to the crook of Stephen’s neck.

Before Peter can even comprehend the command, there is a hand on the back of his head, guiding him so that his face is squished up in the space between Stephen’s neck and shoulder. The boy’s heart rate picks up in his chest, like a prey animal frozen with fear. Stephen’s chest rumbles like the sound of distant thunder. 

“You’ll be okay, bud. Just look cute for your Dadas.” Stephen chuckles and then they are moving.

Peter is not quite sure what being cute will do, but he knows he is good at it, so he stays nice and still, behaving like an angel just as he was instructed while they exit the building.

There is shouting again. It is even louder than it was when he was inside, because now they are outside with the camera people and there is yelling and screaming and someone is reaching out towards him, but he cannot see their face and can only sense the motion.  
“Mr Stark, how old is your Little?” 

“Doctor, a comment, please?” 

“Hey, cutie, over here! Smile!” 

“Mr Stark and Strange, your Little is ill?” 

“Is he sick? His back is curved!” 

“Is this a charity case, Doctor Strange?”

The boy hugs Elliot a little tighter, before they make a turn and soon Peter is being deposited somewhere warm and there is a cushioned seat beneath him. Car.

The shouting and camera clicking become muffled as the door is shut and Peter breathes in a sharp breath. For a few second, he is alone and still in the car. The boy flinches as the door opens again, and the super stars climb in. 

“Drive, Happy. Thank you.” Tony reaches over to buckle Peter into his seat as the car starts moving.

Peter watches as the car zooms off like a rocket ship. It is way faster than the busses! But, then he begins to notice the people. They are pointing cameras at him, shoving them super duper close to the window and making little flashes go off. Peter squirms a little, setting himself farther back into the carseat. He would rather not be with strangers right now.

“Pi’chers?” Peter asks Pepper, assuming she is the one who knows what is going on.

“Yeah, honey. You’ll get used to it. They can’t see you, don’t worry. Just ignore them. We’ll be out of here soon and they’ll stop following us.”

In his distress, a few whines escape Peter’s lips. Tony snaps, turning to the busy lady. 

“Quiet the kid, would you?” He insists.

Peter has a bad feeling about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! What do you guys think will happen to Peter?


	3. The New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tries to settle into his new life.

Peter is all alone in the world. At least that is what it feels like. He has been left in his room. His room. The room is almost as big as the whole dorm room at the center. How can all this be his? 

The largest piece of furniture if the bed with side rails. The bed covers have stars and funny looking aliens on them. It smells clean, and faintly of flowers, and Peter is worried that he will make them dirty by using them. It would be such a shame to make something so nice and comfortable all dirty.

Peter has learned a lot in the past week, both about his situation and the world. He does not like either. The boy knows the people that took him home are very, very, very rich, and they have lots and lots of important friends. That is why the camera people follow them around. Some stay outside their house all night. 

Nearly every day there is picture time, which is when people put sticky stuff in his hair and have him look cute for the inside camera people. Not pa-pa-rah-see, the fo-tah-gruh-ferrrrrrrs. Peter still has Elliot, luckily, but Elliot is only allowed to be in his hands during picture time if he pouts. He does not know why, but that is the rule.

And then there is Bucky. Bucky is the one that actually takes care of him. Bucky gives him bathtime and puts him to sleep, plays with him and feeds him the yummiest food in the whole wide world. And Bucky is really good friends with Steve.

Steve is the newest one that Peter has to quickly get to know. While Bucky is a babysitter, Steve is a nurse. Peter has only met the blonde and large man once, but his super star Daddies said that Steve will be around a lot from now on, because apparently, Peter is getting surgewee. It sounds super important. Maybe it involves pictures too. Hopefully Elliot gets to come along. It is always easier to be Peter when he can have Elliot with him.

It is hard being Peter most days. Daddies do not come by unless it is to take pictures with him, and even then they only stay for an hour or two. He hears talk every so often that they want him to start getting trained for talking to people. They want him to go on TV with Daddies because he is cute and TV people like cute Littles to show off.

The thought of being showed off makes Peter tense up. What if they think he looks weird because of his back? Daddies have not mentioned his back, but Stephen has been touching his spine a few times, feeling the odd curves with his fingertips. There is something tender about those touches, and Peter thinks he likes it. 

Although the Daddies are both super stars, Peter has learnt that they became famous for different reasons. His Papa Tony is a super famous actor. He plays superheroes, and Peter thinks that is quite awesome. But, he knows they are not real. Peter is smart like that. And his Dada Stephen is a super famous doctor. Maybe it is because he has saved loads of people.

Peter is famous now too, apparently. That is why he is getting the surgewee and the pa-pa-rah-see take his pictures and the TV people wanna talk to him.  
Speaking of TV people, some TV people and his Daddies’ superstar friends have sent gifts by the house for him. Lots of new stuffies, and bath toys, and clothes, and cards, and colouring books, and everything!

There are so many new things that Peter does not know where to begin. However, with Elliot in hand, Peter makes his way to the basket full of helicopters, cars and trucks. The toys are all new and shiny, and smell of plastic. 

After playing for a bit with Elliot, Peter hears sounds coming from downstairs. 

“Hey, babe! I’m home early!” 

It is Papa Tony. What should Peter do?

The boy follows the sound of footsteps with his ears, listening to the tap, tap, tap until the tapping gets a little too close to his bedroom. He stands up quickly, pain shooting up his spine in droves, before finding a spot to hide on his bed, covering his entire body in covers.

The footsteps pass by his room without hesitation.

A mix of disappointment and relief washes over Peter, and he peaks out from under the covers to see that he is still alone in his room. Is Papa too busy perhaps? 

With Elliot in hand, Peter tiptoes to the doorway, and pokes his head into the hallway. 

“Hey, there you are. I thought Bucky was with you.” Tony says, and Peter blushes in an instant. 

“Dunno... sowwy…”

Tony sighs. 

“No, no, don’t- cry. Okay, come on, let’s go find Bucky.” He quells awkwardly. 

Peter grabs the man’s hand quickly, assuming he will be led to Bucky by hand, but Tony releases his hand and ushers the boy in front of him.

“He’s supposed to be with you 24/7. What happened? You wake up early?”

Peter shakes his head as they move through the winding halls of the mansion. 

“Nuh uh. Nap at 3. Just left ‘lone.”

“Left alone? Oh, no, we can’t have that! What if you hurt yourself, huh?” Tony coos over him. 

Peter is not sure if Papa is saying that he is at fault for being alone. Did they expect him to find a grown up all by himself? In this huge place? All that thinking of walking makes Peter’s back hurt. Due to his aching back and poor balance, the boy stumbles on the carpet, and falls to his knees. 

“Oh, buddy! Did you trip? Oh, that’s okay. Must be so hard to walk around with a back like that.” Tony says with a frown while scooping up Peter. The boy tenses a little at the lift, but holds tight to his instincts and does not scream. “Barnes! Where’d you go?!” The shouts come, far too close to Peter’s ears for comfort. 

Peter hears Stephen’s voice come from around the corner. 

“What?” 

“No! Not you! Where’s Barnes?”

“I sent him home!” Stephen shouts back. 

“What?!” 

“I though Rogers was watching him, so I sent Barnes home!” 

“Oh, for God’s sake...” Tony groans, following his husband’s voice to the kitchen. “And I thought Barnes was watching him, so I sent Rogers home.” 

And I was left all alone, Peter thinks to himself. But, he does not say it.

Tony sighs. 

“Here- you- uh- you come with me to see Daddy. He’s the one that doesn’t understand how a nanny works, he can deal with the consequences.”

Peter is not entirely sure how being around him is consequences, but he does not complain about the verbage, rather excited to be going on an adventure around the big house.

In the kitchen, Stephen is sat by the kitchen island with a salad from a restaurant. The doctor hums confusedly around his mouthful when Tony sets Peter on his lap. Stephen has to drop his fork in a haste to stop the boy from sliding off his lap. 

“Babe, I’m eating, I have to head out in 15 minutes.”

“That sounds like a you problem, Steph. Michaels needs me in two hours for a screen test and you know Laura is sick today. No stylist means I have to do all the fun stuff myself, and that’s gonna take up a while. You let the nanny have the day off, you take care of the Little.” Tony snaps.

Peter wiggles a little out of discomfort. Stephen’s lap is more boney and his pants are less fluffy than Bucky’s, but he quickly receives a too-tight squeeze that makes him stop wiggling.

“Fine.” Stephen sighs while Tony heads back upstairs. Peter can feel his breath in his ear, and it makes him squirm. “What am I gonna do with you, huh?” The doctor forces out a cooing voice while bouncing Peter with one knee. 

“Dunno...” Peter mumbles. Are they going to take more pictures? 

“I guess I can push it with 10 more minutes, so that I can get you ready.” Stephen says, then continues. “Listen, Petey, Dada’s going to a meeting, and since no one else can watch you, you’ll have to come along. It will be boring, but that’s no excuse to cause trouble. All right?”

Peter hums in lieu of a huff. He is not going cause trouble. What does his Dada even expect him to do? He cannot run away, he cannot hit people very well, and he cannot jump. The most naughty thing Peter can do is maybe cry, but even that he never does without good reason.

“Better get you dressed, then, no time to wait.” Stephen says, finishing his salad and leaving the bowl sitting atop the counter.  
Peter is starting to figure out someone must come by and clean everything up, because he has never seen anybody actually put something away and yet things are always in place before he knows it. Even Peter’s toys.

As they trot up the stairs to get Peter dressed, the boy wonders why he needs a new outfit in the first place. Then, Peter sees the clothes with the funny pictures on them. The words are in a language that Peter cannot understand, but his Daddies seem to have a fondness for these clothes. 

“Nothing like a little Gucci for a day trip, eh? Pepper keeps pressuring Barnes to try some Tiffany’s on you, but Tony thinks that needs to be saved for a later date. I like the Gucci, though.”

“I like it too.” Peter mumbles, hoping to get on Dada’s good side. 

“You do? That’s great, baby. And these will fit you even better once we fix your back.” Stephen says, smoothing out the shoulders of Peter’s Gucci jacket as much as possible. But, with one of Peter’s shoulder dipping down, it will not stay in place. “All right, that will do. Your hair still looks all right. Now, a diaper bag and we’re good to go! Gosh, I’m doing so well even without my PA.”

Peter is close to asking what a PA (pineapple?) is, when his Dada scoops him up and carries him out the door. The pa-pa-rah-see are there again, yelling and shouting from the other side of the big fence that surrounds the premises. Peter knows the routine now and puts his nose in Stephen’s neck. The man’s chuckle rumbles in his chest. 

“Happy, good to see you.” Stephen greets.

“You too, doc. So, the office?” 

“Yes, no stops this time.” 

While the big fence opens up with some kind of magic, Peter gets strapped into his seat by Stephen. The paparazzi flashes do not seem as harsh through the dark windows, but Peter still scrunches up his nose at them. As they drive, Peter basks in the silence, the newfound distance clearing his head of the noise and the flashing.

“Dada?”

Stephen turns to him sharply. 

“Yeah, what is it?” 

Peter wiggles.

“Can I get ice cream? When we go home?”

“Sure, sure.” Stephen sighs. “After. As long as you don’t cause any trouble during the meeting, you can have whatever ice cream you want. Just be a good boy for me while we’re in public.”

Peter nods his head fast to show that he is determined to be good. He has gotten quite good at being good, but there is still plenty to learn and adjust to with his new caregivers. 

Within 20 minutes, they reach their destination and Peter looks around confusedly when he sees none of the camera people. The area looks nice and clean, with trees cut into perfect squares. There is not a single piece of trash in sight on the streets. Are there people here who pick up stuff and clean, just like at home? 

“Come on then, little mister. This is Dada’s work. My biggest achievement. See? There’s my name! How cool isn’t that?”

It is cool, Peter thinks to himself. The big letters by the entrance spell out S-T-R-A-N-G-E M-E-D-I-C-A-L. Which, okay, Peter can officially tell which is which now. His Dada must be Strange, which makes Papa Stark, which is why everything with Peter has to say Stark-Strange. 

The lady at the front desk gasps so loudly that Peter out right startles in Stephen’s hold. And even worse, her face looks odd and stiff, and her lips seem swollen. Like she has eaten a bee. Peter feels sorry for her, but otherwise remains quiet while the two grown ups gush over him. Just smile and wave, smile and wave. 

“Jessica seemed to love you, huh? I bet if I left you here, she’d just take you home with her. But, you’re my little baby, and no one else’s.” Stephen whistles happily as he strolls through the white and clean halls.

Peter wonders if that is a good or bad thing, but he does not have much time to dawdle over it. After all, it takes a lot of work to stay on his Daddies’ good side. There is distractions everywhere, and the latest is two nurses who exit from a door to the left in the hallway. They both seem to startle as Stephen approaches with Peter on his hip. 

“Shit. Are there cameras today? I thought it was a no-go. I didn’t even wash my hair.” The shorter one groans quietly, forcing a smile in Stephen’s direction when he passes. 

“Don’t worry, I think it’s just a corporate meeting. Not our job.” The other one comforts. 

Peter does not turn his head to look at the two conversing nurses, knowing that staring is rather impolite, but he does take note of the mention of cameras. He does not like cameras, and he is glad these two nurses seem to be on the same page.

The meeting room is a bit more colourful than the plain hallways, and one wall is made of just windows which gives a full view of a small outside area. The grass out there looks more green than anything Peter has seen before. It sort of makes him itch to go outside and feel the grass, but Dada probably will not let him. He has got fancy new clothes on, and now, more fancy grown up people are walking in. They all smile widely, which reminds Peter of how the villains in cartoons smile. 

“Woah, is it bring your Little to work day, Strange?” A heavier man with dark hair jokes, gesturing towards Peter. The attention makes Peter shiver, but he only looks to his Dada.

“Don’t worry about it, Wong. You have no idea how difficult it is to communicate who’s watching him in that house. I’m the one who gave the nanny a night off, now I’m the one lugging the little prince around everywhere. Already has me buttered up for ice cream.”

“Really? Already he’s the one is charge, huh? Pulling all the string on your and Tony’s backs?” The man named Wong laughs. 

“Wrapped around his finger.” Stephen sighs, settling down on the chair at the head of the table. But, Peter does not get to sit with him apparently. Instead, Stephen ushers Peter to the carpeted floor. Due to his aching back, Peter sinks to his bum, letting his knees bend at his sides. Using his hands to support some of his weight, Peter sighs in relief as the pain in his back eases off a bit. 

More people arrive now, and Peter feels like a tiny ant on the floor. What if he gets squished under their polished shoes?

“All right, surgery discussions. We’re having Christine come by on Thursday to look at mine for a bit. Then, surgery on Saturday. That sound right?” Stephen asks.

Wait- mine?  
As in Peter?

“Yes, the chief of surgery at Central said that OR 12 will be ours from 9 am. I’m sorry to say that he won’t let you do your pretty handiwork on your own Little, though. I’ll do my best to fill your shoes.” Wong says with that laugh of his again. 

“Don’t get too comfortable though. It’s just for one surgery.” Stephen shoots back, making the other members of the meeting chuckle.

Peter starts to panic. They are going do something to him. He knows he is going to get a surgewee, but he still does not know what it is. Nobody has explained it to him. But, if going to the doctor is involved…

“Afterward we have a few rhinoplasties scheduled throughout the day and one liposuction. Seems pretty light for Saturday then, eh? Who’s taking those?”

“I can.” A rough voice from the end of the table says. 

“Great! Thanks, Mordo.” Stephen replies and notes a few things down. 

Peter does not dare stand up to tug at his Dada’s sleeve to ask what is going on. 

“Are you excited then? I bet the surgical team will have to tie your arms behind your back to stop you from just doing the surgery yourself.” A female voice asks, but Peter cannot see the woman from where he is sat on the floor.

Stephen laughs. 

“Yeah, you may have to tie me up in the observation room to keep me in place.”

“Thought tying you up was Tony’s job…” 

“Hey!”

Peter tries to keep himself busy with the space he has, but there is not any toys on the floor for him to play with. He hopes, if this is to become a frequent thing, they think to get some toys for him in here. Or at least let him play on the grass outside. 

Because now all he can think about is Saturday, and panic quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! What do you guys think of the verse so far? If you’ve read ‘Learning Little Love’, then there’s definitely similarities. And the surgery? How do you think Peter will handle it?   
> See you next Tuesday!


	4. The First Outing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets ready for his consultation at the hospital.

“Steve, I dun’ wanna go doctor.”

Steve laughs lightly, continuing to press on Peter’s back. 

“You have to, that’s how Doctor Palmer is going figure out how to straighten your back.”

With a pout, Peter huffs and taps his chin. 

“How come I can’t wait till I’m big and brave? Then I get surgewee.”

Steve rolls his eyes. 

“I got some tough news for you then, bub. All right, come on, up, up, up. Time to go get dressed. Buck!”

It is finally Thursday, although Peter does not know entirely what it entails. He knows it is a big day, and has to do with his surgewee. Everyone is making a big fuss, including Steve, who Peter has learnt recently is a dependable guy. Like the anchor in the storm. Because no matter how stressed Daddies are, Steve always smiles at Peter and gives him a pat on the head or pinches his cheeks. And then there is Bucky.

“Is he okay?! God, babe, if he’s dead I’m gonna-“

Steve sighs, passing Peter over gently so that the boy is propped just right on Bucky’s hip. 

“He’s doing great today, chill out. I’m no specialist, hell I’m just a live-in, but I can’t see any reason Peter wouldn’t be fit for the operation.”

Peter knows operation. It is a game. A fun game, sure, but a game where a guy is cut open.  
Are they cutting Peter open?

“Oh, I’m so relieved! Gave me a scare, huh?” Bucky coos, rubbing at Peter’s cheek. “Let’s get you ready to see the doctor! I bet your Daddies want you in comfy clothes today. Look, they even put out an outfit for you. Looks like Pepper’s handiwork.” The nanny says, grabbing the neatly folded clothes in Peter’s walk in closet. 

Then, they head to the bathroom. Peter would have thought that his actual caregivers would be here getting him ready for the day, but it is always Bucky doing these things. Helping him change, bathing him, brushing his teeth and hands. Maybe Daddies are too busy for that. Do they have their own Buck-ies helping them with that?

Peter is not sure, but he does like the image of hundreds of giant Buckies, proportionately humongous so they tower over their assigned Mommies and Daddies like Peter’s Bucky does to him. Maybe Bucky came in a box, like a doll.

“I get cat?” Peter verifies.

“Yes.” Bucky chuckles. “Some Panther shoes for you. Look at you! Handsome boy. Now, hop onto the stepping stool again and I’ll do your hair.” Bucky prompts, getting the brush and hair gel out. The gel smells quite good, but Peter would rather not have it. He feels like he is getting ready for a show, and he has to move like a robot so that his clothes nor his hair will get ruined. But, he supposes he has to look good for the cameras. 

“Buck! I got Peter’s breakfast ready.” Steve calls from downstairs.

Peter can see Bucky smiling in the mirror. 

“Doing my job for me now? What a flirt.”

At that word, Peter furrows his brows and cocks his head, wondering what that means. But, he supposes it is not for Littles to know, so he moves on. 

“Eggs ‘n’ bacon?” The boy asks, expecting that everyone is smart enough to have his order memorised. After all, it is the only thing he will let them feed him for breakfast after the waffle incident.

“You got it! All the protein and fats you need for the day, and then of course a smoothie on the side. I heard from Steve that he wants you to gain a few pounds, and Daddies agreed.” Bucky hums while bringing Peter downstairs. The Daddies are no where to be seen, but Peter is not surprised.

Peter is placed into his highchair with the utmost carefulness, as if he is a porcelain doll on display in a museum. Breakfast goes by without a hitch, but it is cut a bit short. Usually, Peter does not have to hurry, since the nanny and nurse are moving at his pace, but they have somewhere to be today. And so Peter drinks the last of his smoothie before letting Bucky take him back upstairs to brush his teeth. And then, it is off to see Doctor Palmer.

Fleetingly, Peter wonders who Doctor Palmer could be. He knows she is a ‘she’, which usually means a nicer doctor than a ‘he’ in Peter’s experience, but he does not know anything else. Is she a good doctor? What is she going to fix? Peter does not have a cold, he has not sneezed- not once! So, naturally, he does not need any extra sick medicine. 

Unless, Doctor Palmer is going to fix his back, but people cannot do that. And Peter would not want them to if they could. It is his back, and he would much rather live the rest of his life in pain than let someone cut him open.

All this and more runs through Peter’s mind while he sits in the backseat of the car. Steve is driving, and Bucky is sat in the back with Peter. At one point, Peter wonders if Bucky will be mad if he tries to hold his hand. The boy decides not to try it, and wrings his hands in his lap nervously. 

Finally, they reach the hospital. Peter knows it because of the ambulance nearby, and because there is a handful of nurses having a coffee break outside. 

“So, where are Stephen and Tony? They said they’d text you.” Bucky says to Steve while unbuckling Peter.

“Shit… One second, let me check.” Steve mumbles, and Peter nearly reprimands him for the bad word before remembering that Steve is a grown up and Peter is a Little, which would make such an action very silly. “Uhm- right. Stephen’s held up in traffic, seems Tony got held late for b-roll. They might be twenty minutes.”

“Peter’s appointment is in thirty, so that’s not a huge window.” Bucky groans, picking the boy in question up and resting him on his hip.

Steve turns his phone towards them with a slight chuckle, revealing a video from Tony that shows the camera crew, and a man shouting orders over a speaker. Tony’s voice comes over from behind the camera.

_“-I love these people, but I cannot believe I’ve been in this fly rig for three hours. I’m melting in here.”_

“Is Papa okay?” Peter asks, a bit alarmed by the video and the tone of Tony’s voice. 

“Just fine, bud. He’s a bit late, is all. Should we go in and see if they have an in-door playground?” Bucky suggests brightly. 

Peter supposes that is okay.

The three of them head into the hospital through the main entrance, and immediately Peter’s eyes are drawn to the signs on a pole, and specifically the sign pointing to a playground. Bucky was right, and Peter taps the nanny’s shoulder excitedly. 

“Look, buddy, there’s even some other Little boys and girls there for you to play with. Doesn’t that sound nice?” Bucky coos, gesturing to a group of Littles in the midst of a game of pretend. 

While Peter knows the grownups are not as skilled in the nature of finding the plot of games, he can guess it’s a ‘space monsters are gonna get the good guys’ type of situation. There are two boys, both with dark hair, and two girls, a blonde and a frizzy brunette. They do not seem to be mean, so Peter decides to take his chances and approach the playground when Bucky sets him down on the floor. At first, the four Littles do not notice that Peter has arrived, but then the brunette one halts and smiles at Peter. 

“Hi!”

“Hello...” 

“Do you wanna play?” The girl asks. 

“What are you playin’?” Peter asks, even though he would guess it is the ’space monters get the good guys’ game. 

“I’m a space princess and those two are monsters trynna catch me! What do you wanna be?”

Peter hums, looking around in thought. He has always wanted to be a pirate. 

“Space Pirate?” Peter asks, shifting a little on his feet. The girl smiles and nods, yelling to the rest of the group that they have a new friend and he is a Space Pirate here to save her.

The Littles all get along quite well. The storyline for their play is a bit dramatic, but that makes it all the more fun. After a particularly dramatic scene, the Littles all slow down for a little breather. And then, the question is finally asked. 

“What’s wrong with you back?” One of the black haired boys asks Peter.

Peter looks behind himself, almost thinking that there is something stuck to his shirt, before remembering that the other Littles do not have the funny thing in their back.

“Gotta... bad thing. It’s all broken. But, I don’t mind.” Peter explains, hoping Bucky and Steve cannot overhear him from where they are sat on a bench nearby. 

“Does it hurt?” The other dark haired boy asks, scooting closer to Peter to see his curved back up close. 

“Sometimes, but I get meda’sin to help.” Peter answers and subconsciously tries to straighten his back while the others look at him. 

“I think it’s sorta cool!” The blonde girl says.

“Yours cool, too.” Peter compliments, deciding it is for the best that they do not feel left out. The four Littles giggle in response, and Peter does too, although he does not know why. Just like at the adoption center, it is hard to know what Littles mean and want when they say things. 

“I know of someone who knows someone who had a back like that! The doctors fixed it, and he had to wear a thing around his tummy and here- like for a really long time!” One of the dark haired boys tells, gesturing around his torso to show where the brace was.

Peter cocks his brow, his head collapsing to the side weakly. He does not know what the other boy is referring to, but he supposes that little bit of information is all that he is entitled to. Thus, the boy relaxes, and looks for something new to discuss.

“Wha’s your name?” Peter asks the blonde girl.

“I’m Betty, that’s MJ- not Michelle, and then that’s Ned, and Flash- not Eugene.” Betty, the blonde girl, explains.

“I’m Pe’er.” Peter says, glancing in Bucky’s direction in hopes of signalling that he needs something else to speak about. But, Bucky is not paying attention to him, and instead the nanny seems to be giggling at whatever Steve is whispering in his ear. 

“So, what are they gonna do to your back?” The boy named Flash asks abruptly.

“Nuthin’!” Peter squeaks out on instinct, curling up on himself a bit. “Why you say that?” 

“Cause everyone with backs like you get fixed. It starts with ‘S’, but I don’t remember what it’s called. That’s why you’re here, right?” Flash points out.

Peter freezes.

“I- I’ll be right back.” The boy excuses, running over to Bucky and Steve. “Buckiiiie!” Peter whines, catching both of the men’s attention. 

“What’s up, Pete?” Bucky asks, still giggling at Steve. “What happened?”

“I don’ want to!” Peter exclaims in the nanny’s face. Bucky frowns in confusion, then chuckles lightly. 

“Buddy? What do you mean?” 

“I don’ want to! I won’!” The boy repeats, oblivious to the fact that Bucky nor Steve are on the same track as his racing thoughts. 

“Peter, we don’t understand. What is going on?” Steve chimes in.

Peter huffs, kicking his feet harshly against the floor and letting out a long whine. The emotions begin to snowball, and soon Peter has worked himself into a tantrum, kicking and bawling at full force. Bucky tenses, signalling for Steve to lift the boy up, before looking for a family restroom to regroup.

“Peter- Peter- calm down.”

“No-o-o-o!”

“Peter, if you keep this up, we’ll have to tell your Daddies you’re behaving badly.” Steve threatens, taking out his phone. Peter narrows his eyes at the nurse, his eyes going black with rage. 

“So what?! They are never he’e! I don’ care! I /don’t/ care!” The boy emphasises with a shriek, kicking and squirming as much as he can so that Steve has no choice by to set him down. They never make it to the family restroom, and instead they are in the hallway leading to the lobby. 

“Shit, my phone’s going wild.” Bucky hisses, grabbing his phone from his pocket before exclaiming “Fuck, fuck, fuck- Stephen’s in the lobby and Tony just pulled in. You get them situated, I’ll get him to shut up.” He instructs. 

Peter, still too distraught to think, cries harder at the tone.

“NOOOO! Let me go-o!” Peter shrieks, his voice echoes into the hallway and to the lobby, where Stephen and Tony have now appeared. They have Happy and Pepper by their sides, and a handful of photographers are at their heels. 

Peter fights openly against Bucky as brings him out to the lobby as well and towards his two caregivers, making Bucky hisses. 

“Peter. Do not make your Daddies angry with you. What happened to that nice little boy I had this morning? Huh? Where’s he hiding?”

Peter kicks against his nanny as hard as he can, wiggling full force. Everyone in the lobby is now watching Peter fight against the nanny and nurse, including Stephen and Tony. The two Daddies head over, their faces hard and eyes narrowed. 

“Barnes, hand him over.” Tony states coldly. 

In the split second where Peter is passed from Bucky’s grip to Tony’s, the boy tries to bolt. But, it is futile, and only seems to anger the caregivers around him even further. In turn, that makes Peter all the more angry. 

“I’m not doin’ it. I won’ do it! Let me go! Let me go-o!”

Stephen tries to grab the boy, pushing him so that he is more stable in Tony’s grip. 

“Peter, stop it right now. You have to get this check up done, then we’ll go home and you can either get a new toy, or a spanking. Your behaviour right now is really making your Papa and I wanna give you the latter.”

Peter huffs. He does not need a new toy, he has Elliot. And, sure, maybe a spanking would be less than ideal, but he bets his Daddies cannot really do it. They are just bluffing.

“No doct’r!” Peter whines.

“Peter, we are going to see Christine, and that’s final. Dada and I have been working hard for this, so-” Tony chimes in, but suddenly he is interrupted by Peter. A Little shrieking in his caregiver’s face. 

“I HATE YOU!” 

A heavy silence follows, only disturbed by the clicks of cameras and phones recording. Then, a sharp slap. The sound of Tony’s palm hitting Peter’s cheek.

“Peter. Quiet. Now.” Tony hisses, his voice thick with anger and fury. 

Peter is stunned. His yells die down to sniffles as he pressed a palm to his reddened cheek, tears pouring down faster from the pain. He wants to be quiet now. He tries so, so hard, but he just cannot. And soon, the wails have returned, only for him to continue them in not anger, but pain.

Tony rolls his eyes, strutting up to the desk with the confidence of a man who did not just strike his Little, and gives Peter no more than a few shushes and a single back rub as consolation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! What do you think of Tony’s actions :00  
> You know the tea channels are going to find out about it...


	5. The 'Apology' Video

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Stephen deal with some consequences.

_“Hey, TeaSquad! It’s Jay here-_

_“And Ethan!”_

_“-Comin’ back at you with today’s craziest celebrity drama and controversies. To start us off today, we have my favourite piece of tea for the whole week so far, Tony Stark-Strange caught slapping his new Little.”_

_“And no, you did not just mishear that. He really did, I’ll show you the video clip in a sec. But, first I wanted to give you guys some context of what’s been going on with the Stark-Stranges. So, if you watched our last video, you’ll know that Tony and his husband Stephen recently adopted a Little. Now, the Little’s name is Peter, and as you can see he has scoliosis. The two Daddies have been a bit hush-hush about it all, and Tony has been surprisingly quiet on social media. But, he tweeted this, confirming the adoption.”_

_“Ahem. Hold on, let me lower my voice here. Ahem… ‘It’s Stephen and I’s greatest pleasure to announce that this Sunday we were officially allowed to take our beloved baby home. We can’t wait for the world to meet him in a month’s time or so, but until then, we’d like to confirm the name of Peter Stark-Strange, and let the people know we love him to the moon and back.’ Okay, okay. There’s no way he wrote that.”_

_“My bet is that it’s Virginia Potts. But, anyhow! Fast forward a couple of weeks, and this video pops up on Twitter. It looks like Stephen and Tony are at the hospital with Peter. There’s two other guys there with them, possibly new bodyguards. But, before I want to warn you guys. It’s a bit graphic, with Peter getting slapped in the face. I mean- a Little getting slapped by his caregiver! Skip to 2:50 if you want to skip the actual video. Okay… let’s roll the tape!”_

Pepper pauses the YouTube video and turns in the direction of her clients.

“20 million views. 700,000 likes. 40,000 comments.” She says blankly, staring down at them. “You’re trending.”

“That’s good, right? I mean, my movie is still in theatres.” Tony points out, laid back in the chair in the meeting room in his and Stephen’s mansion home. 

“She doesn’t think it’s good.” Stephen says, looking at Pepper. “Right? What else are they saying?”

Pepper sighs.

“Well, besides the claims that Tony, and, by extension, you, are radically abusive, we also have a major downturn in investments for the hospital. Plus, I haven’t heard one thing since the video came out about any new role offerings for Tony. And he’s offer-only. That means one of you two might be out of a job.”

Tony stiffens a little, shifting uncomfortably in the seat. Pepper can be very frightening when she wants to be.

“And to think about all the strings I pulled to get you two that kid! Sending you to every damn place in the country, practically, tipping off the paps, and then working my way through the system to get you the cutest little brat I could find- and this is what you do with that good publicity? I know what your intentions are with this Little, I mean I understood as soon as you got me to hire Barnes and Rogers. But, he’s still your Little, and you cannot act this way in public.” 

“No, wait a sec. This isn’t fair. Did you see how poorly he was acting? They’ll think we are bad CGs and tip of the system to have him taken from us. Now that will ruin our careers for sure. I had to put him in his place.”

Pepper sighs.

“Tony... not on the face. Give him a warning slap on his butt if you need to. That’s being a good CG. Hitting him is so, so much worse. They’re calling you a horrible person, people have called 911. It’s bad. He was crying, Tony. People tend to get upset when a big, strong man makes a baby cry.”

“Strong? I mean-” However, Stephen stops Tony before he can say more. 

“Okay, okay. So what’s our strategy? I mean, making an apology video seems like a lot. It was just one warning.” Stephen says, shrugging one shoulder.

A few hours later, the group is gathered in one of the many living spaces, and Peter is fighting tooth and nail to stay in Bucky’s arms. The boy can tell his Daddies are acting weird, and Peter would rather not get involved in all that. Bucky is much safer and more comfortable. 

“No Papa! No!” Peter cries, holding on as tight as he can. 

“Peter, don’t do this to me, bud.” Bucky winces. “You just need to sit on Papa’s lap for one video. Come on. You don’t even have to look at the camera. Here, here- Steve! Get some candy, please!”

“It’s sugar free.” Steve says, returning with a bag of candy for Peter. The boy quiets down immediately as he munches on the sweets. Tony looks at the rest of his team around him. 

“So...? What am I gonna say?”

Within a second, Pepper pulls out a long and detailed script, dumping it on Tony’s lap. 

“This, actually. Put some of those line memorising skills to the test, please. We need to start filming as soon as Peter’s done with his little candy session.”

“Right...” Tony mutters, taking the script and studying it. Although he does this as his job, he is not very thrilled about doing this video. But, if he does not, Pepper will make a detailed half hour long Power Point explaining why he must do it regardless. Although it is painful, it is necessary. “I think you should do that part, babe. Like we switch a bit back and forth?” Tony says, pointing out a paragraph for Stephen to look at.

“Yeah, sure.” Stephen shrugs. “You’re doing the kissing, though. This is designer chapstick.”

Tony groans, looking up to his PR manager with a pleading gaze. 

“Can we take out the kisses?” He checks.

Pepper rolls her eyes. 

“No, we can’t. The last thing you did to his cheek was the antithesis of a kiss, so we have to counter. It’s only a few times, deal with it.”

Under Pepper’s watchful gaze and directing, Stephen and Tony get the video recorded after a few tries. Happy gets extra pay for doubling as a camera operator, while Peter gets to eat his whole candy bag. He knows he is being recorded, but luckily the Daddies do not expect anything from him. Just sit still and look cute. Easy enough. Although, Peter does not get what all the fuss is about.

Another few hours later, the video is live.

_“Hey, guys! It’s me, Tony, and my husband, Stephen. And, we have a special guest, Peter! The whole family is here for the first time on our Youtube channel. We’re here to make a quick announcement, and just- talk about a few things.”_

_“Yeah, as I’m sure most of you know now, Tony and I officially adopted our first Little a few weeks back. We’ve posted a few pictures, but if you haven’t seen Peter yet. Here he is! Say hi, baby! Say hi to our fans.”_

_“... H’llo.”_

_“Aw, good boy, Petey.”_

_“And, we also wanted to take the time to announce that Peter has officially been scheduled for his first surgery! If you don’t know, Peter has scoliosis, so we’re absolutely thrilled to start on getting him into the best shape of his life.”_

_“Yes, and, for once, I’m not the one performing the surgery.”_

_“Good thing, too.”_

_“Well, it’s not my expertise at all. The ortho surgeons will fix this, although I would have loved to make the scar as good as possible. But, we’ll be with Peter the whole time! We pretty much have the whole day planned and ready, and... we’re taking you along with us!”_

_“Yes, we will be vlogging it. We want you guys to join us on this tough, but exciting journey. You will get the chance to see us, and of course get to know Peter even better. What do you think of that, bud?”_

_“...Got candy.”_

_“Yeah, you got some candy for being such a good boy today, huh?”_

_“Mhm.”_

_“And are you excited for the people to come along with us?”_

_“Yes, Papa.”_

_“Hmm, he’s a bit camera shy still. But, anyway, uhm- our update schedule! Babe, do you-”_

_“Yes, I remember. So, Peter’s surgery is going to be on Saturday, but we want you guys to get a proper vlog documenting the first few days of recovery. So, that vlog will be up on Tuesday or Wednesday.”_

_“We’ll be keeping you guys updated on Insta stories and Twitter too.”_

_“Well, I think that’s about it. Hm, baby? You got anything to say to the people? Wanna kissie?”_

_“Mhmmmm.”_

_“Oh, there we go! Want more?”_

_“Mhm.”_

_“Well, while Tony’s playing favourites, I’ll take the chance to say goodbye to all of you. We can’t wait for you guys to join us on Peter’s journey.”_

_“We’ll see you in the vlog! Also, follow our social media, linked all down below! Say bye-bye Peter!”_

_“Bu-bye!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! What do you think of Daddies’ PR strategy :00


	6. The Surgery Vlog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter goes through surgery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that we are not doctors and we have taken some artistic freedom with the surgery and everything for the sake of the story

Time passes on after the video, but Peter takes notice to how the cameras keep showing up. Right in his face. It is not too bad, he knows that, but it gets to be far too distracting from the task at hand. One time, his Dada even brought it out while he was being changed to do an ‘A-side’. Peter is not sure what an A-side is, but he does not like it. As they get closer to Saturday, the cameras are out more and more. It almost feels like Daddies are talking more to the camera than to Peter. He would rather spend time playing with Bucky or Steve if that is how it is going to be. 

Then, early Saturday morning, when Steve comes to wake Peter, he can already hear Tony vlogging in the hallway. It sounds like he is coming into his room. 

“Stevie, nooo...” Peter whines quietly, not sure if he wants to be heard in fear of getting scolded. But, at the same time he would rather not have Tony film his dinosaur pyjamas.

Suddenly, the door swings open to reveal Tony, camera in hand and a warning look on his hidden face. Steve steps back, signalling to Peter to remember the vernacular they have discussed. Steve is here to do check ups, nothing more. Bucky is here to babysit when Daddies are too busy to take care of their darling baby, nothing more. Elliot stays in Peter’s hand when the camera is on. No bad comments.

“Look at you, little mister! You got your dino jammies on for the car ride, huh?”

“Uh-huh.” Peter replies, his heart is his throat. 

“Aww, that’s so adorable. Since this is a super special day, Dada and I’ll let you wear your pyjamas till we get to the hospital. And Rogers, hey- say hi to the fans. They think you’re a bodyguard, you know? Why don’t you tell them what you actually do?”

Steve’s eyes go wide when the camera is on him, shifting on his feet. This is not part of his job description.  
“Oh, I’m just an assistant nurse. Keeping Peter here away from the hospital as much as possible.” Steve undersells, giving the camera a half-hearted wav and smile.

“Yeah, yeah, doing some amazing work for us. Although, you could also double as a bodyguard.” Tony laughs, but quickly moves on and blows a kiss to Peter from the door. “I’ll leave you guys to the morning routine. We’re leaving in 30!” 

As Tony walks out of the room and down the hall, his voice fades away and Peter relaxes a bit. The boy looks up at the nurse with a sad look. 

“Come on, let’s get you ready, bud.”

The process does not take long, but Peter notices how the tone shifts once the drive begins and the cameras are away. There is a gift bag with tissue paper sticking out sitting on Dada’s lap. A small part of Peter hopes it is for him, but then again these last few days have been strange. Nothing makes sense, but what is for sure is that Peter has to be still and cute. When they get out of the car at the hospital parking lot, it is Stephen who comes to carry Peter inside. He is still dressed in his pyjamas, and so he hides his face in Stephen’s neck. Dada thinks it cute. 

“Aww, baby! You nervous? It’s okay. We’ll be with you the whole time.” Stephen coos, thinking that Peter actually wants comfort.

Peter points to his jammies in lieu of an answer, but Stephen does not respond to the motion. He only begins the hike to the front door, readying Elliot in Peter’s arms.

“Here for check-in.” Stephen greets, as Tony lugs the bags behind alongside the camera in hand.

Peter keeps his face hidden throughout Stephen’s conversation with the receptionist, as well as in the elevator up to the right floor. But, the boy cannot help but lift his head when the sharp smell of antiseptic solution hits his nose when they get to the surgical ward.  
Right away, Peter knows this will be an awful day.

The moment Peter’s butt touches the bed, he is being grabbed and manoeuvred. He sort of feels like Pinnochio, like he is not quite human and thus not autonomous enough to move on his own. His jammies are pulled off by someone and replaced with a weird pink dress with rainbows all over. His pullups are also removed, and a mat is slid underneath him in their stead.

Then, his hand is poked with a needle, and even more people arrive to fuss around him. A milky looking substance is injected into him, and Peter wants to get away, but his body is even less his own now. His body will not cooperate, and he lays limp and helpless. On top of it all, the Daddies are fussing with the camera. 

“Okay, we should record the goodbyes. You ready, Tony?” Stephen asks, hugging Peter with one arm while looking at his husband fiddling with the camera, again. 

At some point during all the fussing around him, Peter becomes numb to it. He starts to feel sleepy, but he is still just alert enough to be annoyed by the presence of the camera. His Daddies start speaking weirdly again, all high pitched and girl-like. Peter hates it.

There is a hazy image coming in, one of him and Elliot playing in a field of daisies. And, soon, Peter can feel the petals on his skin. 

When Peter wakes again, he does so with a whimper. Everything hurts, but at the same time his body does not feel like his own. His limbs are too heavy to move, and he can barely finish a thought before a new sensation catches him off guard. Everything blurs together like a mud pie on a rainy day. Through his medicated haze, Peter sees the little black void of the camera. The Little closes his dry eyes again.

“Cam’a.” Peter mumbles, groggy and dazed, but still present enough to know he wants the camera out of his face. He hears his Dada force a chuckle. 

“Yeah, baby. You like the camera, don’t you?”

Peter, still confused and sleepy, pries his eyes open with brute strength, only to finally catch sight of the stern gaze he has being given.

“Mhm. Cam’ra cool.” The boy agrees loosely. He hates the camera.

“How do you feel, baby? Pretty groggy still I bet? Hmm, your surgery went perfect, we’re so proud of you. Are you in any pain?” Stephen says all at once. Peter does not know how to answer, and just shakes his head. He is in a bit of pain, but the feeling of sleepiness is much stronger.

He hears Papa in the background mumble something about ‘give’ and ‘now’, but it seems to be a question. People never ask Peter questions, at least not important ones, so he does not bother to request a repetition.

“No, no. After he’s properly awake. He wouldn’t know what it was.” Dada says, probably in response, but Peter honestly is not sure. Have his eyes always been this heavy? “Lets do another update real quick while he’s still so groggy and cute.”

“Yeah, okay. We should be quick though, because this battery is about to die. All right... Ready?” 

“Yeah, I’ll just sit next to him here.” 

“Okay, recording now.”

Peter hears the click. The stupid, stupid click. And then come the voices that only show up when Peter has a camera on him and he hates the cameras and he hates his Daddies and he hates the hospital and the voices and the clicking and the-

“Wakey, wakey, honey bun. Hello, there! Oh, aren’t you just the cutest little thing? Say hi to the fans, baby. I know how much you love the fans.”

Peter groans, not caring that he has been given an instruction and worries more about sleeping. They will not mind as long as he is cute and quiet, so he does not see much point in putting in the effort.

“Peter here is just waking up from surgery, and he’s doing such a good job for us. His n-babysitter is gonna come by soon for some more familiar faces, but he’s doing just fine with his two favourite people right now. So, that’s the short update from me, but Stephen can give you the more complicated details.”

“Oh, sure, yeah. So, like Tony said, Peter’s still coming around from anaesthesia. He might be dizzy and feeling sick, but he shouldn’t be in any pain. As you can see, he has all sorts of monitors and tubes, including one in his mini Peter, if you get what I mean...” 

“Steph! Poor guy...” 

“He’s all right. It must be nice actually, not having to get up to pee. It might stay in for a few days considering he should be as still as possible for a few days. Oh! Show his bandage, babe.”

Peter can feel himself being rolled over slightly, and the funny dress is untied, so that his spine is completely exposed. And probably his butt. Yucky. His back feels different. Why does it feel different?

“You can see here just how big the incision was. It might seem extreme, but Christine, my colleague and friend Christine. I’ve probably mentioned her before, but anyway- we agreed with the her and the other surgeons that they’d do a long incision and straighten most of his back with metal rods and bolts, so as to prevent a relapse. It’s gonna need quite a bit of TLC, but that’s okay. Can’t risk an infection. How’s it feel, buddy?”

Peter whines, uncomfortable with the new feeling. It feels wrong, like he is in someone else’s body. Stephen hisses at the sound. 

“Oh, I know baby. Weird, huh? That’s okay. Just needs some getting used to. You were a real big boy for us today.”

“As you can probably tell, Peter’s spine looks a lot better. We’ll try and vlog when he first stands up tomorrow or the day after. For now, we’ll just rest and cuddle loads. Isn’t that right? Hmm?” 

The camera is in his face again, and then Tony is too, kissing his temple. All Peter can do is sigh and let himself be messed with. He is too tired to do anything. All he wants is sleep. Even when the lips pull away, and Peter just barely manages to open his eyes enough to see Tony sneakily wipe his mouth off behind the camera, making an over-exaggerated gagging face at someone, maybe Pepper, in the corner of the room. Peter just wants to sleep.

“Go ni-ni.” The boy murmurs, before the small tunnel of darkness seems to close around him, sucking him into its void.

Elliot is waiting for him at the tea party, he cannot be late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! I know some of you really hate Stephen and Tony now (and for good reason) and I guess this chapter made that even worse hehe...   
> The ending will be somewhat happy though ;)


	7. The Change Of Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter bonds with his Daddies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’ve taken some artistic freedom with the recovery after the surgery. Scoliosis surgery is much severe than this, but we have a story to tell hehe :3

The next day, the hazy feeling is gone. Peter wakes up feeling much better, and even smiles at Steve who once more arrives to help him in the morning. Another nurse is there too, but Steve does most of the work, which Peter appreciates. 

“We’re going to try walking today, darling.” The other nurse says. Peter hums. 

“After naptime?” He asks. He hopes he can stay in the hospital bed a little longer. The nurse chuckles sweetly in return. 

“In an hour, actually. Your caregivers are en route as we speak.”

Well, that is not exactly what he was hoping for, but Peter does not fuss, and simply lifts his hands to request a pick up from Steve.

“‘evie? Go up?”

“Go up?” Steve mimics, smiling softly at the boy before gently picking him up. “Is that okay? How’s your back?” 

Peter’s breathing picks up a bit as he tries to adjust to being upright. The blood rushes through his body, making him a bit dizzy. But, Steve is strong, and holds him steady. The boy leans his head down a bit to rest on Steve’s shoulder, whimpering at the slight tug on the skin of his back.

“I know it feels different, honey.” Steve smiles. “It’s a good different, though.”

The boy sighs. Sure.

“Hmm, still sleepy?” Steve coos, patting gently at Peter’s bum to avoid his fresh incision. “Your Daddies are on their way. Did you have a good night with Bucky? He said you slept well and didn’t wake up after he read you a bedtime story. Such a good boy.”

Peter thinks. He remembers Bucky reading him his story, and then getting a mini-lecture after saying that he wishes he could turn pink too. Where is Bucky? The boy looks around curiously. 

“Bucky- go. Where Bucky go to?” The boy stumbles, lips lax and bendy from the morphine running through his system.

“Bucky went home, bud. He was with you all night, and then we switched places. Now it’s my turn to get to see your pretty face.” Steve chuckles, rubbing at Peter’s swollen cheek.

Peter tries to imagine Bucky leaving the little hospital room, tired from a long day of fretting over his charge, and yet the picture comes blurry. It is a silly thing to imagine, after all, Bucky leaving him. It does not seem likely, although Peter understands it has to happen. He can imagine his Daddies leaving him crystal clear.

Steve just finishes helping Peter brush his teeth when the Daddies arrive. They each have a Starbucks in their hand, and with Pepper on their heels tapping away on an iPad. Peter holds onto Steve’s shirt to stay with him, but he is powerless against the caregivers. Peter is moved from Steve’s arms to Tony’s, and the movement hurts his back a bit. 

“Hi, baby! Did you sleep well? Bucky said you were so good for him last night. But, now Dadas are here, so it’s all good.” Tony coos.

It is not all good. Peter does not want Daddies. He wants his Bucky. Stressed, the boy makes grabby hands for his Elliot, who lies abandoned on the bed without his best friend there to cuddle him. Steve nods, grabbing Peter’s beloved bunny for him. 

“Oh! Uh, hey, while we’re on the topic...” Tony starts, glancing at Stephen before looking pointedly at where the gift bag from yesterday sits.

“We have a little gift for you, Peter. For being such a brave boy for your surgery.” Stephen says with a smile, lifting up the pale blue gift bag. 

Peter is still not on his top game, and so he mentally thanks Steve for opening the bag for him. From the bag, the nurse pulls out a brand new and fluffy looking bunny stuffie. The toy is cream coloured, and looks softer than a cloud. Peter’s eyes widen comically.

It is a bunny.  
Why is it a bunny?  
Why did they get him another bunny?

Peter can hear the gentle hum of the camera behind him, the way it electrically whirs and jams. Pepper must be holding it up. He has to behave. He has to be good so the people will not be mad at his Dadas.

“Hm? You like it? Your Dada and I thought it would be a nice replacement for the old one. Something nice and clean, yeah?”

Peter begins to wail.

Why would they try and replace Elliot? During all this? Just after he has been cut open and had his own body messed with in all sorts of ways? Another bunny to replace his most precious possession? 

“Hey, hey, buddy. It’s okay.” Steve consoles, rubbing at Peter’s shoulder when the boy starts working up a proper cry. The Daddies seem alarmed too, and Stephen passes the camera to Pepper. 

“Baby, don’t you like it? Isn’t it cute?” Tony asks, sounding confused and panicked.

“M-My-“ Peter tries, but he cannot stop from entering a coughing fit as his body works against him. “Ell- My Ell- It not-“ He stumbles again, finally collapsing backwards so he is entirely limp in his Papa’s arms. “My bun-n-n-n-yyyyy!”

“Oh, we know, we know it’s your bunny.” Tony shushes, trying to bounce Peter gently to sooth him. “We’re not getting rid of Elliot, you can have both! We’re not getting rid of Elliot, baby.” He assures. 

Peter pauses a bit, coughing again. 

“M-my Elli’o?” 

“Yes, baby, your Elliot. This is just an extra friend. Isn’t that nice? An extra friend?” Tony tries, holding up the new bunny for Peter to see.

Peter quiets down after that, considering it. He supposes if it is an extra friend, that maybe it is okay. Maybe Elliot would like a brother. The boy lets his head hang for a little bit, where his Stevie readjusts it to sit right in the sweet spot of Tony’s crook, not anywhere where a bony structure might harm him. Then, he looks at the new bunny.

It does look cleaner than Elliot. Probably clean enough to put in his mouth when he is scared, and not get sick afterwards. No matter how many times Elliot has had a bath, he has never been this clean. Plus, the new bunny has a baby pink bow wrapped around his neck, and Peter wonders if he could move it to be a pretty headband. That would be nice. He holds Elliot up to see, and then looks into the toy’s woven eyes and mumbles out. 

“Bunny?”

Elliot, though silent as always, seems to agree. A new brother would be very fun for tea parties.

With a slightly unsteady hand, Peter reaches out for the new toy. Tony’s eyes widen, and his face cracks into a smile. Stephen looks just the same. 

“Here you go.” Tony says quietly, handing the bunny to the boy. 

The new bunny is even softer than Peter thought, and he blinks as he takes in the sensation of the soft fur under his fingertips. The bunny smells faintly of lavender, like it has been washed just recently. With a content sigh, Peter holds both Elliot and the new bunny up to his face, breathing them both in.

“Better?” Tony asks, reaching over to press the back of his hand to Peter’s cheek.  
For a moment, the boy flinches, before easing down and nodding. Much better, really.  
Stephen chuckles, before taking Peter out of Tony’s arms and embracing the boy himself. 

“All better, there we are. Good boy. You’re probably still all sorts of loopy with pain meds. Hmm?” Stephen says, swaying Peter in a gentle movement from side to side. It is actually quite pleasant, and Peter lays his head down on Stephen’s shoulder with both his bunnies tucked up under his chin. 

“That’s better, baby. Such a good boy.” Tony adds, coming up next to Stephen to kiss Peter’s temple.

Stephen continues rocking Peter, just as fluid as before. At some point, Pepper slips out of the room, saying she will get the video to the editor and have it ready for uploading. She adds something about the surgeon and nurse not wanting to be filmed. Meanwhile, Peter has another much needed nap in his bed, while his Daddies stroke his hair and arm. 

And after an hour or so, the same nurse from before comes in to inform them that it is now on never for Peter’s walking attempt. But first, the surgeon must come to examine Peter first to see if he is fit to stand. When the surgeon arrives, Peter watches as he and Stephen greet one another gleefully. Tony also joins in on the happy chatter, and so Peter gets a short moment with Steve in the meantime. That is until the surgeon is done with the chit-chat and wants to see Peter’s back and see how he is doing. 

“Oh, who’s this?” The surgeon asks, pointing to Peter’s new bunny. The boy actually smiles bashfully when he points at his Daddies. “Was it a gift from your Daddies? For being so brave? What a lucky pal you are, huh? Let’s see your back then. Isn’t that a nice straight line!”

Peter furrows his brows. 

“I see?” He asks.

The nurse smiles, before reaching into his pocket for a phone and snapping a picture, showing it to Peter. It does not look like his back. Not one bit.

“Is- is not-” 

“It’s not curved anymore. It’s straight. Doesn’t it feel better?” Stephen asks. 

Peter flaps his arms, a signal for everyone to get on with it. He needs to get up on his feet to feel this himself. On one side, Steve holds Peter steady by one arm, and on the other side, the nurse from the hospital takes his other arm. In front of him, his Daddies are looking at him adoringly. And there is no camera. 

“All right, up you get.” The surgeon directs.

When he tries to hold himself up, Peter understands why they are all so worried. So frantic, so obsessed with him walking. Because his back hurts so much, and pain shoots right up his spine from the pressure. 

“Come on, buddy. You can do this.”

Which one of his Daddies is talking? Peter cannot tell. It hurts too much, but Steve and the nurse are holding his arms so he can stay up and he tries his best to move his feet the right way.

“Come on, baby. Come to Dada. Come on, you can do it. Come see your Papa.”

Once upright and steady, Peter lifts his gaze up from his feet, which straightens his spine. The boy blinks confusedly at the sensation, and even feels a bit dizzy at the shift of his weight in his body. His muscles ache a bit as he tries to keep his balance, but luckily the two nurses are helping him. A bit unsurely, Peter takes his first step.

“Good job, Petey! Oh my goodness, you got it! Come on! Come on! Come closer, baby. Come give Dada a hug.” Stephen prompts as Peter is guided for a second step.

The boy almost chickens out, the prospect of doing all that again overworking his brain.  
Then again, he sure did like all that praise. So, he takes a deep breath and makes a second step. It is not comfortable, in fact it kinda ouches and his feet feel all funny, but it is worth it. He is going hug his Daddies. By the fourth step, Peter is a little out of breath, and he feels how Steve and the other nurse are taking on more of his weight. Still, Peter does not feel like giving up, and continues to his Daddies. They look so gleeful and proud that it makes Peter’s chest ache in a new way. It feels good, and on reflex, the boy grins back. 

“Look at you! My goodness! Look how tall you are! Our baby!”

“Am doin’ it! ‘M walkin’!” Peter replies, chuckling breathily. His Papa starts to laugh, which makes Peter giggle in sync with him.

“You are, aren’t you? You’re so good at it, too. My goodness, look at our sweet boy, Steph.”

“I think he’s getting the hang of it.”

Peter smiles toothily, and nearly trips when he moves his arm to subconsciously reach in their direction.

“No, no, bubs. Keep your arm there with Steve. Be gentle, now. You can do it, just a little farther.” His Papa insists.

Before he knows it, there is only one step left, and Peter can just nearly reach his Daddies. Just then, Peter’s knees buckle due to all the effort, but it does not matter much since Steve and the other nurse guide the boy to land in his Daddies’ arms safely. The Daddies have crouched down to the floor to watch him walk, but now they are on their knees, and Peter sinks to his as well. The boy looks at his caregivers with shining eyes, giggling tearily with a little sniffle. 

“You walked, baby... With your back straight...” Stephen recaps in amazement. It is like he cannot believe what he is seeing.

Peter smiles brightly, although he is not entirely sure what exactly happened. What did they do to his back? It must be magic, because Peter thought he was getting cut open. There is no opening, though. Just a funny line down his back, maybe a mark from the magic. But, most importantly, he stood straight. Tall, and proud. 

“We’re so proud of you, baby.” His Papa says into his hair. The boy giggles again. 

“‘ove you.” The boy responds. And he really means it. 

“We love you too, precious baby. So, so much.” Stephen replies, his voice a bit thick and funny sounding. 

“Come on, let’s get you back in bed. You look sleepy. You worked so, so hard. We’re so proud of you.” Tony chuckles lightly, taking Peter gently into his arms, and kissing his temple. The gesture makes Peter feel all warm inside, and this time, he wants comfort and closeness when tucking his face into his Dada’s neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! What do you think of Peter and his Daddies? This certain does not fix everything, but perhaps Peter can find a way to live with this? We’d love to hear what you think!   
> The next chapter will the last, and an epilogue.


	8. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tries to find his place.

Peter holds tightly to his Daddies’ hands, watching closely as the shiny blue door stands still. He knows this door. Daddies come out of it sometimes when Bucky and he watch them on the TV. The shows are boring, and clearly too grown up for Peter’s attention span, but he watches anyway. It is his Daddies after all, and Bucky says it is good practice to see how they behave on TV.

Peter has a little black thing- maybe a bug, he could keep it as a pet- pinned to his shirt, and he was told he cannot say anything until the door opens up. He wants to ask his Dada or Papa for them to carry him instead, too worried about slipping when he walks. Pepper insists that the more Peter walks around other people, the more people will love his Daddies, but he just does not get the correlation.

“And now, I am so, so very excited to welcome our next guests on the show tonight. These two need no introduction, although they aren’t alone with us tonight. Give a hand for Stephen and Tony Stark-Strange and their Little, Peter!”

Peter tightens his hold on his Daddies’ hands as the pretty door moves up, up, up until he cannot see it any more, and his Daddies start walking forward. If it was not for Papa holding his right hand and Dada holding his left one, Peter would have bolted right out of there. He can run now even! And he would very much like to do that when he sees the audience. 

All the people seem ecstatic about them, but Peter does not quite get what the fuss is about. Right. Superstar Daddies. The applause is deafening, and some people are even whistling and shouting. 

“Come on over, come on over!” The host, George, calls out. Only now does Peter notice him, and follows his Daddies meekly to the sofa. To his relief, Peter gets to sit between his caregivers, somewhat safe.

“Tony, Stephen. My two favourite men.” George greets, before turning to look at Peter.  
The boy understands that this is not about his Daddies today, and that the people are more excited to see him. Yesterday, his picture was on a magazine cover, which is proof enough that he is a superstar too, now.

Why does that knowledge still make his tummy hurt?

“Peter, it’s lovely to see you in person, buddy. Did you like the racecar I sent you?” George asks. Peter is not sure which of the nine racecars the man is referring to, but based on the look that Pepper is giving him from the first row in the audience, he is meant to say yes.

“Yuh huh.” Peter nods, wiggling further into the seat. He does not play with the racecars, Daddies are not home enough for him to have a proper race. 

“Did you like it?” George asks. 

“Hmm!” 

“Peter plays with it all the time. Sometimes, he takes up the whole living room floor with his toys. It’s like a mine field for us!” Tony lies, but the audience and George lap it up. 

“Oh, I bet! Have you ever stepped on a lego? Man, that hurts!” George groans out, smiling towards the audience. “I’d just fall right over, and need back surgery too. Cause- that’s something I think many are itching to know more about.”

Peter wiggles into his Papa, wanting out of the way while his Dada begins to talk about Peter’s magic surgewee. 

“Yeah, it was a nine hour surgery. Over dozen stainless steel rods and bolts to straighten Peter’s spine. Some of my colleagues did the surgery, mainly Christine Palmer, who’s a good friend of mine. It was awfully nerve-wrecking, right babe? I mean, nine hours of watching from the gallery above the OR. Peter was an absolute champ, though, and just 24 hours after the surgery, he was up and walking. And- oh, you got a picture up, look, baby! Gosh, Tony and I were a complete mess, I mean- the worry and all.”

The picture up on the screen in the studio shows Stephen laying in the hospital bed with a sleepy Peter, who is laid across his Daddy’s chest with the back of his gown untied, leaving both the funny line on his back and his Paw Patrol pull-up in the center of the shot. And Peter is smart enough to know that everyone at home watching will have the picture fill up their screens. The thought makes his tummy ache again. There are better pictures from that day they could have used, but Peter does not fuss. He can tell Elliot and Milo tonight at bedtime.

“And you documented it all in a video on your Youtube-”

“A vlog, yes.”

“Yes, exactly. I mean. The video alone shows how much you love your new Little. I mean, I don’t think everyone is capable of adopting a Little with a medical condition like that, let alone support them through such a rough time as a surgery like this. I think you guys deserve all the praise for your compassion and kindness, truly.” 

George’s little emotional declaration sends a wave of ‘ooh’ and ‘awws’ through the audience, and they all start clapping. Stephen and Tony both smile widely, their eyes shining and bright as they soak up the attention. By his side, Peter feels that his Daddies’ arms are limp around him. 

“I think my most favourite part was the clip where you gave Peter that new stuffed animal. Have you named it, Petey pie?” 

Peter cringes on the inside at the nickname George calls him by, but he does not let his disapproval show. He nods eagerly. Of course Elliot and Milo should be mentioned on TV as well!

“I named ’im Milo, and he’s bestiest friends with my Elli’o.”

The man gives Peter a smile so sickly sweet Peter nearly has to grab his own mouth for fear of cavities. 

“Aren’t you just the most adorable little thing.” George comments.

Peter hums, and leans against his Papa again. He is a little sleepy now, but he knows to be good. It is his very first time on TV, after all, and he has to show Pepper he can handle it. The last thing Peter wants is for Pepper to make him sit in Dada’s lap the whole time so he can be kept in check. He is a big boy.

“And how has having a Little affected your work life? We have seen you more and more with these two handsome guys. Won’t you tell us about them?” 

The family of three crane their necks a bit to see the pictures that have been put up. Unable to hold back, Peter yelps excitedly and points at the picture. 

“Buck!” 

Tony chuckles fondly at Peter’s exclamation, but takes the boy onto his lap to keep him more in check. 

“Yes, the guy with the brown hair is James, but he prefers Bucky. He helps around the house and with Peter. He’s become a part of the family.”

Peter listens to the message that his Papa is sending him when he gets moved, and especially when Tony gently squeezes his wrist. Bucky and Peter are not that close anyway.

“We all need babysitters, especially with your line of work.” George jests. Tony laughs. 

“Yeah, I could take him with me, but I have a feeling it might be considered bad caregiving if I let this little guy see me covered head to toe in-“ Papa covers Peter’s ears for a moment, but soon they are taken off and Peter can hear the audience gasping and laughing.

“That a spoiler?” George asks. Tony rolls his eyes. 

“You all saw the last film, you know this one’s gonna have some gore.”

“Speaking of gore- how’s your practice?” George jokes, turning to Stephen. Both Daddies laugh heartedly at the joke, startling Peter in the process. The audience seems to agree, with some holding their hands over their mouths. 

“It’s good- it’s good.” Stephen laughs, then turns more serious. “I know that Cathrine Hall had some nice things to say about me after she came to see.”

George chuckles.

“And! I see Peter’s gotten a lot better at walking since that video you guys put out after the surgery. You’re even learning to run, huh, Pete?” He asks rhetorically, but Peter nods anyway. 

Another video pops up on the screen without sound. Peter remembers that one vividly. They had filmed twenty times to get the right take of Peter running ‘for the first time’. However, the video does not show how the event really ended, with Peter in tears after Tony screamed in surprise, scaring Peter into stopping his sprint. Instead, the video shows Peter outside in the backyard of the mansion, playing with his Daddies in his very expensive play clothes.

“So, what do you guys have planned for the future? I know most actors take breaks around this time. Is that the case for you?” George asks, gesturing to Tony with his hand. 

“Yes, actually. Now that Peter has gotten this far in his recovery, we have decided to head for Bali for two weeks. The swimming will help his back too.”

“And get him a nice tan too.” Stephen adds, stroking at Peter’s cheek before pulling him in for a kiss. 

The audience go wild with cheers and whistles. Peter does his best to stay put, even leaning into the kiss a little. From the front row, Pepper smiles at him for his good behaviour, but Peter cannot help but wonder what kind of face she would have given him if he had pulled away and cried like he actually wanted to do.

For the next few minutes, Peter disassociates from the conversation, sensing that it has turned towards the more grown up questions about Peter that he knows he is not to answer himself. Half way through his daytime dreamscape, where he and Elliot are on a safari to find Milo, there is a hand scratching his back and someone is saying his name.

“You sleepy, buddy? I know it’s past 8. How about you nap on Papa for a little bit.”  
It is not a request. Peter is not sleepy. And his bedtime is 9, not 8. But, Daddies do not know that, and clearly his Dada has taken the opportunity to have Peter be cute on TV once more.

“Aww, must be late for him.” George points out. 

“Yeah, it is. It’s his bedtime now.” 

“Not for you guys, I bet.” George adds, and his face suggest something beyond those words that Peter cannot quite comprehend. It is probably grown up and boring either way. A dreamland date with Milo and Elliot would be perfect right about now. “Well, Stephen and Tony, and Peter of course, it’s been wonderful having you here!”

Tony begins to laugh, and Peter can feel him reach over to shake George’s hand, before he is being shifted in his Papa’s arms.

“And we’ll be right back with Veronica Winslow on her new book, ‘Growing Up Daisy’, right after this word from our sponsors!”

The audience cheers, but soon that noise dies and the three men, mics turned off, discuss amongst themselves for a few moments, before Peter can feel himself being carried backstage. As soon as they reach the backstage where the live audience cannot see, Tony hands Peter over to Bucky, who sets the boy down and encourages him to walk like a big boy to the Ferrari that awaits them in the private lot.

“How did it go, bud?” Bucky asks while leading Peter by hand. 

“Was okay.” The boy replies, downplaying just how uncomfortable he actually felt in front of the live audience. 

“Hmm, was it fun? There will be loads more like this in the coming weeks. The whole world want to see you. Isn’t that exciting?”

Peter thinks it over. No, it is not exciting, he decides. It is actually quite strange. Frightening even. Still, he knows that that is not the response Bucky wants, so he elects to not answer, instead feigning tiredness for an easy out.

“Come on, then.” Bucky groans playfully, picking Peter up into his arms. “Looks like your Daddies wanna hang around.” Bucky hums, heading to the car in the back. Happy is outside, waiting and doing God’s work by shooing away the paparazzi. 

Looking over Bucky’s shoulder, Peter can see Tony and Stephen chatting with some people. They are laughing loudly, their arms around each others’ middles lovingly.

Bucky tucks Peter into his Louis Vuitton carseat with a fleece blanket, then hurries around to the other side to join Peter in the back. 

“You know, buddy, I think Stevie and I might take you to the zoo tomorrow.”

“No Daddies?” Peter checks, cocking his head. Bucky smiles. 

“No Daddies. Papa has to do some Mo-Cap stunts all day and Dada needs to review his latest commercial. Just us.”

Peter sighs in content. 

“Just us.”

The car starts rolling away and onto the streets, just as another car pulls up and Peter catches a glimpse of his Daddies getting into it. Looks like it will be just him and Bucky at home. 

“Me go bath?” 

“Yeah, we can have a bath. Do you want a bath bomb too? Stevie said you smell extra good after you use those.” Bucky muses. 

Peter giggles again in his seat, looking adoringly at his babysitter. The boy is starting to understand how his life will be from now on. Daddies in public, and Steve and Bucky at home, behind the scenes. And truthfully, Peter does not mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading!  
> So, this is the end... for now! Laney and I both love this verse, and we have agreed to leave it open so that we can sometime in the future write more.   
> What do you guys think? Do you think Peter is happy?


End file.
